Our young people are thankful

My job is frequently misunderstood: many think that teachers do the talking and the students the listening. While there are certainly days where I must stand up front and deliver information or instruction, that’s not ideal. The best days in class are those in which I can listen. I hear misunderstandings and complicated questions, anecdotes spurred by the lesson, sarcasm and encouragement, and criticisms more insightful than any I could have conceived myself.

So in the spirit of thanksgiving, I’d like to give thanks for the best part of my job and hand this column over to them.

My students have been posting their gratitudes on the class blog. Below are 20 excerpts of thanks, in no particular order, from 20 teens. No matter what we may critically observe about youths’ sense of entitlement, when given the opportunity, their appreciation for others and for the opportunities given them is humbling.

May reading these remind you of your own blessings this season—

I have been blessed with a good home. I do not have to worry about what is going to happen to it or where I have to sleep [at] night. I am grateful that I have a place that I call home.

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I am thankful for the time I have left with my grandfather, and the time I have been able to spend with him in the past.

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I am thankful for medicine. Without [it], I wouldn’t be able to go outside in the spring, and some mornings I wouldn’t even be able to walk.

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One of my big [things I’m thankful for] would have to be my brother….Yeah, sure, there are times when we fight and annoy the crap out of each other, but I wouldn’t trade him for the world.

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Another thing I’m thankful for is my mom. There is no way I could live without her. She does everything for me, and then at the end of the day puts up with all the attitude I give her.

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I am so thankful for the ability to make music…[it] has taught me to look at things in a different way.

I’m thankful for my little brother, Troy….We can talk about anything and everything, and we have more fun in five minutes than most people have in five hours.

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I’m thankful for lots of things in my life. The first…would have to be tacos. They are basically the most delicious food on the face of the planet! And another thing I’m thankful for is my mom (who just happens to make the tacos for me).

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I’m thankful for the people who have put me down in life. If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be the person I am.

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I am grateful to have parents who support me and encourage me to do things that will help me become a better person.

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[My dad] is always there when I need him, and I can count on him more than anyone in this world.

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I am thankful for the sun because of the way it paints the sky as it rises and sets.

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I’m thankful for the time I had with [my brother]…I remember that he used to make me read all the time while I was learning until I got it right, and now because of him, I’m a great reader.

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I am thankful for being able to live in Oregon. It’s a privilege to live in a place where there’s the ocean, forests, mountains, lakes, rivers, and even the city. There are so many things to do in Oregon, and it’s such a beautiful state.

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I am thankful for my dog. Since I don’t have any siblings that’s basically what he is to me.

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In sports, [my dad] will always come up to me afterwards and tell me “good job” but then tell me a few things I need to work on. After a loss, I get annoyed with him telling me what I did wrong, but I know he means it with the best intentions.

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Many of us forget how lucky we are to live in a country where [we] are truly free….I’m thankful to have troops fighting for us and the freedom of choice, religion, speech, and much more.

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I absolutely love the [fall] colors changing because it is a reassurance that God is really there.

(Suzanne Stefani is a writer and teaches creative writing at McNary High School.)